Punjab recorded seizure of about Rs 67 crore worth of liquor, drugs, gold and cash by Election Commission-appointed surveillance teams during a month-long period leading up to the state assembly polls.

The seizure was made by surveillance teams comprising of Punjab police, Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB), state excise and income tax department starting from January 4 till the polling day.(Representative Image)

Punjab recorded seizure of about Rs 67 crore worth of liquor, drugs, gold and cash by Election Commission-appointed surveillance teams during a month-long period leading up to the state assembly polls.

Among the seizures, the value of gold and silver turned out to be the highest at Rs 26.14 crore, followed by drugs to the tune of Rs 17.89 crore, liquor at Rs 13.36 crore and cash of Rs 9.52 crore, an official in the state elections office said on Monday.

The seizure was made by surveillance teams comprising of Punjab police, Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB), state excise and income tax department starting from January 4 when the model code of conduct came into force till February 4 when the polling took place, the official said.

Punjab police intercepted cash amounting to Rs 58 crore during special checking undertaken throughout the state and then handed over Rs 25.33 crore to the Income Tax department for further investigation.

Police, however, after seizing Rs 1.14 crore, released about Rs 32 crore which belonged to some banks.

Out of Rs 25.33 crore, the income tax sleuths seized Rs 8.38 crore and released Rs 9.97 crore after verification. A sum of Rs 7.35 crore was still under investigation, the official said.

With drugs remaining a major poll issue in the state, the surveillance teams including NCB seized drugs worth 17.89 crore from different parts of the state, official said.